Portable field-fence



; Omron.

JOI-INB. JOHNSON, OF LINDEN, INDIANA.

l PORTABLE FIELD-FENCE;

Specification of Letters Patent No. 21,260, dated August 24, 1858.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN B. JOHNSON, of Linden, in the county of Montgomery and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fences; and I do hereby declare that the same are described and.. represented in the following specifica tion and drawings.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my improvements I will proceed to describe their construction and the mode of using them, referring to the drawings, in which the same letters indicate like parts in each of the figures.

Figure l, is an elevation of the fence. Fig. 2, is a plan or top view. Fig. 3, is section to the right of the line a, a, of Fig. l.

The nature of my invention consists in the mode of locking the panels at the top, by the brace, so that they areheld together longitudinally, and in so locking the panels at the bottom by the stay that they cannot be pushed together 4or slipped by one another.

In the accompanying drawings A, A, are

horizontal rails fastened by nails or screws to the standards or end bars B, B, and to the center bar O, to form a panel of fence which is supported in a perpendicular position by the braces D, D, and E, There is a score cut in one edge of the brace E, to iit the bar O, which bar O has a score cut in it between the top and second rail to ree ceive the brace E. These scores are both cut diagonally so that when C, and E, are locked together the brace E, will be inclined as shown in Fig. 3, so as to rest upon the ground, to which it is fastened by the stake F, which is put through a hole in thebrace E, and driven into the ground to hold the end of the brace firmly. I make a tenon Gr on the upper end of each of the end bars B, B, to tit holes in the braces D, D, when placed in the position shown in Fig. 3, on the opposite side of the panel from the brace E. The lower ends of these braces D, D, are perforated and rest on the ends of the stays H, H, which are also perforated, so that the stake I, may be put through both and driven into the ground to hold them both firmly to brace the top of the fence and stay or hold the bottom. The stays H, H, have a score cut in one edge long enough to clasp both of the end bars of two panels which are placed opposite to each otherat the bottom for that purpose, as shown in Fig. l, the bottom rail A, having a score cut in it by the side of the bar B, into which the stay H, is placed when it is made to clasp the end bars of the twopanels. The side of the score in the bottom rail A, is cut under, or dovetailing, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. l, and there is a little space cut dovetailing on the stay H, to fit it so that the stay is placed edgewise or perpendicular .into the score and turned down flat, so that as the beveled edge comes into the dovetail of the score in the rail the score in the stay clasps the end bars or standards of two panels. A portion of a second panel is shown in the drawing; J, J, the rails, K the end bar and L the center one. The bar K, is shown in dotted lines in Fig. l, partly behind the bar B, but as the top of both incline outward from the center of each panel they pass, one so far by the other at the top that a gain may be cut in the top of K, for the brace D, so that the brace holds the top of two panels together, while the stay H, holds the bottom where the end bars are opposite. As a portion of the bar K, marked K in Fig. l, projects up by the brace D, so as to holdthe panels together and prevent them from being drawn apart longitudinally or holds the panels together endwise, and the stay H, which clasps orI locks the bars B and K, together at the bottom, is let into a score in the bottom rail A, it prevents the panels from being pushed or slipped by soA each other at the bottom, so that the fence when set up and braced and stayed as described is firmly held laterally and longitudinally.

With my improvements a plank or board fence may be made in separate panels, and with a brace, stay and small stake at the junction of the panels the whole is securely fastened together and sustained in an upright position, so as to form a lawful fence to stop animals, and at the same time a single panel or any number of panels may be removed with ease, without disturbing the remainder of the fence. The braces and stays at the junction of the panels may be placed outside of the inclosure, in highways 0r pasture lands, where they will be of but little or no inconvenience, and the braces in the center of the panels, if any are used, when in the way of plowing or planting may be taken up and hung on the fence, and ree placed again whenv desired. Any person of ordinary skill can make this fence of a small quantity of lumber, and being above ground it is little liable to decay, being for the above reasons both cheap, convenient and durable. I believe I have described and represented my improvements in fences so as to enable 5 any person skilled in the art tO make and use them. I Will nOW state What I desire to secure by Letters Patent to Wit:

I claim- The mode of locking the panels at the top 10 described, so as to prevent their being drawn apart longitudinally Or endvvise, and also the mode of locking the panels at the bottom as described so as tO prevent them from being pushed or slipped by one another, When the parts are arranged in relation tOV each other as set forth.

JOHN B. JOHNSON. Witnesses:

ALBERT BENSON, JOHN P. HALE JOHNSON. 

